Electrical overstress reporting

• US 10,557,881 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Donnell, Alan J., Aherne, David, Salcedo, Javier Alejandro, Clarke, David J., Cleary, John A., McGuinness, Patrick Martin, O'Grady, Albert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Danny
• Application Number:
  US15/801,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20190128939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 361 56, 361 86- 87, 361 911, 361111
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/002 where the device under test is an electronic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0251 for MOS devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0007 concerning the detecting means in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/20 responsive to excess voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/005 avoiding undesired transient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/04 responsive to excess voltage lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/042 comprising means to limit the absorbed power or indicate damaged over-voltage protection device
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/046 responsive to excess voltage appearing at terminals of integrated circuits protection by specific structural integration design H01L27/0248
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 characterised by data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0259 Electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure relate to detecting and recording information associated with electrical overstress (EOS) events, such as electrostatic discharge (ESD) events. For example, in one embodiment, an apparatus includes an electrical overstress protection device, a detection circuit configured to detect an occurrence of the EOS event, and a memory configured to store information indicative of the EOS event.

Claims

1. An apparatus with electrical overstress detection, the apparatus comprising:

an electrical overstress protection device including a sense terminal;

a detection circuit including an input terminal conductively coupled to the sense terminal of the electrical overstress protection device, the detection circuit configured to detect electrical overstress events, wherein the sense terminal of the electrical overstress protection device and the input terminal of the detection circuit have a common direct current voltage;

a memory configured to store information associated with one or more of the electrical overstress events detected by the detection circuit; and

a reporting circuit configured to assert an alarm signal related to a functional safety risk based on the information that is stored in the memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reporting circuit is configured to assert the alarm signal based on the information associated with multiple electrical overstress events stored in the memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reporting circuit is configured to assert the alarm signal based on intensities of the multiple electrical overstress events.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alarm signal indicates there is a functional safety issue with a die that includes the detection circuitry, the memory, and the reporting circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reporting circuit is configured to provide the alarm signal external to the apparatus.

6. A method of monitoring functional safety associated with a functional electronic circuit, the method comprising:

detecting an electrical overstress event associated with the functional electronic circuit;

storing information associated with the electrical overstress event in a memory;

in response to a calculation related to functional safety of the functional electronic circuit based on the information stored in the memory, reporting information indicative of the functional safety of the functional electronic circuit; and

initiating action related to maintenance of a system that includes the functional electronic circuit based on the reporting.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining that a defined number of electrical overstress events has been detected, wherein the defined number is two or more, and wherein the reporting is in response to the determining.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the reporting is in response to intensity measurement and/or number of electrical overstress events.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

prior to the reporting the indication of functional safety,

detecting a second electrical overstress event associated with the functional electronic circuit;

storing information associated with the second electrical overstress event in the memory; and

determining not to assert the alarm based on the information associated with the second electrical overstress event stored in the memory.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the memory is configured to store information associated with multiple electrical overstress events.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the reporting comprises transmitting the indication of functional safety with an antenna.

12. An electronic system with electrical overstress detection, the electronic system comprising:

system circuitry;

an electrical overstress protection device including a sense terminal;

a detection circuit including an input terminal electrically connected to the sense terminal of the electrical overstress protection device, the detection circuit configured to detect one or more electrical overstress events, wherein the sense terminal of the electrical overstress protection device and the input terminal of the detection circuit have a common direct current voltage; and

a reporting circuit configured to;

assert an alarm signal in response to information associated with the detected one or more electrical overstress events satisfying a condition, the alarm signal being an indicator of functional safety of the system circuitry; and

not assert an alarm signal in response to the information associated with the detected one or more electrical overstress events not satisfying the condition.

13. The electronic system of claim 12, wherein the condition is satisfied by at least one of:

a defined number of the detected one or more electrical overstress events, the defined number being two or more;

or

an intensity of the detected one or more electrical overstress event satisfying a threshold.

14. The electronic system of claim 12, wherein the system circuity is external to a die that includes the detection circuit.

15. The electronic system of claim 12, wherein the reporting circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit the alarm signal.

16. An apparatus with electrical overstress detection, the apparatus comprising:

an electrical overstress protection device;

a resistive element in series with the electrical overstress protection device;

a detection circuit configured to detect electrical overstress events, wherein the detection circuit is electrically connected to a node between the electrical overstress protection device and the resistive element;

a memory configured to store information associated with one or more of the electrical overstress events detected by the detection circuit; and

a reporting circuit configured to assert an alarm signal related to a functional safety risk based on the information that is stored in the memory.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reporting circuit is configured to:

assert the alarm signal in response to the information that is stored in the memory satisfying a condition; and

not assert an alarm signal in response to the information that is stored in the memory not satisfying the condition.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the alarm signal indicates there is a functional safety issue with a system that includes the detection circuitry, the memory, and the reporting circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the die includes the detection circuitry and the memory.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reporting circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit the alarm signal.